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US Purchase, Unlock, Bring to Canada

NJDevils44

NJDevils44

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 6, 2006
100
0
Alright so I was talking with a guy who works at Rogers earlier and when he told me the iPhone would likely come out near Christmas here, I went YIKES! I don't want to wait that long. Upon saying that, he told me I could just buy the iPhone in the US (I live in Vancouver so Seattle is near) and bring it to Canada. Now, firstly, as we don't know if the iPhone is unlockable (which it likely is, but you never know) it might not work. Now, once unlocked, is it as simple as popping in my Rogers SIM and bingo? I am however aware that I will NOT be able to use "Visual Voicemail". Now, if I were in fact to purchase the iPhone in the US and bring it here without visual voicemail, whenever the iPhone is officially released in Canada, I assume Rogers will have visual voicemail ability at set point, will it start to work with my iPhone?

To sum up my questions:

1.) Does anybody know if the iPhone is hackeable at this time?
2.) If it is, how do you unlock the phone? Is it something I punch in the phone or is it something physical?
3.) If I purchase the iPhone in the US and bring it to Canada, will I infact not be able to use Visual Voicemail?
4.) If I bring it to Canada, will I suffer anymore setbacks?
5.) When Rogers picks up the iPhone if they enable visual voicemail, will my phone be able to use it?


I really appreciate you answering any of the questions you know the answer to.
 
I'm going to assume it is not easy to unlock this phone, but I'm not sure. Also, are you aware of the Rogers data rates? Right now it is the same price to get Roger's data in Canada as a Cingular data plan in the states and roam in Canada. It's soooo bloody expensive up here, totally wrong. I think it would be more flexible for me to just get the plan in the states and roam up here.
 
If it's going to be available by Christmas, does that mean that in your otherthread the information is wrong?

No one knows a thing about Canada yet. We'll find out when it happens.
Also, nobody has held an iPhone yet, never-mind them knowing if it is hackable or not.
 
1.) Does anybody know if the iPhone is hackeable at this time?
Click to expand...
Yes, it's hackable like every device. But hacks are not available and may never be available ...

2.) If it is, how do you unlock the phone? Is it something I punch in the phone or is it something physical?
Click to expand...
AT&T being the exclusive provider for now, I think Apple made sure unlocking is not simple. Eventually, unlocked phones will be available in Europe or somewhere but for now, I don't think unlocking will be easy.

3.) If I purchase the iPhone in the US and bring it to Canada, will I infact not be able to use Visual Voicemail?
Click to expand...
See #1 and #2. If you bring iPhone in Canada and you don't use AT&T, your iPhone will be nice iPod and even nicer paperweight. :D

4.) If I bring it to Canada, will I suffer anymore setbacks?
Click to expand...
No, spending 700 CAD for a nice iPod+paperweight is enough :p

5.) When Rogers picks up the iPhone if they enable visual voicemail, will my phone be able to use it?
Click to expand...
Probabaly yes, for a small additional fee of 100 CAD/month (knowing Rogers)!
 
You wouldn't even need to go all the way to Seattle ;) . There's an Apple store in Lynnwood and even an Apple retailer here in Bellingham, TD Curran ;) :)

Edit: An Apple authorized retailer that is, not an Apple store
 
I still tend to believe the rumor that the phone essentially won't be fully functional without the appropriate data access.

IE you would likely be unable to use almost all the features of the phone, without the appropriate data/voice plan.
 
marksman said:
I still tend to believe the rumor that the phone essentially won't be fully functional without the appropriate data access.

IE you would likely be unable to use almost all the features of the phone, without the appropriate data/voice plan.
Click to expand...

I agree. for example, the widgets. I'm sure the weather, stocks, news, etc would need internet access
 
i know it's a pain in the a** to wait for so long but i think it will just be worth it,, everytime i have unlocked a phone it somehow messes up, now i dont know for sure if it is because of the unlocking and such but ill just blame it on that, i rememeber i once unlocked a rogers phone to use with fido and was never able to make it connect to the net because it was a rogers phone, i even tried calling motorola and all, so i am guessing if you unlock it way more than just the voicemail thingy feature won t work, probably not even the internet and the google maps...
 
tutubibi said:
Yes, it's hackable like every device. But hacks are not available and may never be available ...


AT&T being the exclusive provider for now, I think Apple made sure unlocking is not simple. Eventually, unlocked phones will be available in Europe or somewhere but for now, I don't think unlocking will be easy.


See #1 and #2. If you bring iPhone in Canada and you don't use AT&T, your iPhone will be nice iPod and even nicer paperweight. :D


No, spending 700 CAD for a nice iPod+paperweight is enough :p


Probabaly yes, for a small additional fee of 100 CAD/month (knowing Rogers)!
Click to expand...

Sometimes I wonder about the people that post crap like this ... #1 This proves the commenter know nothing about GSM Phones ... #2 Yes, ATT is the authorized company in The US ... but not of all North America or any where else in the world

Also, the phone has to be made unlockable ... it is a rule of the FCC so a person can transfer to a new company and not have to purchase a new phone

An no ... being without Virtual Voicemail will not brick the phone ... why you all treat that like the best feature of the phone makes me question your intelligence. That shouldn't be on your top five most important features. Hmm how about fast processor, Video player, Audio Player, large storage capacity, great web enabled features.
 
juanster said:
i know it's a pain in the a** to wait for so long but i think it will just be worth it,, everytime i have unlocked a phone it somehow messes up, now i dont know for sure if it is because of the unlocking and such but ill just blame it on that, i rememeber i once unlocked a rogers phone to use with fido and was never able to make it connect to the net because it was a rogers phone, i even tried calling motorola and all, so i am guessing if you unlock it way more than just the voicemail thingy feature won t work, probably not even the internet and the google maps...
Click to expand...

Most smart phones are easy to change these settings. The problem is more in the regular phones that don't have user configurable net assess ... often would notice the same problem with the MMS. Rest assured that there will be forums set up for people with the iPhone on different networks and you will find out how to do this.
 
I just posed in another thread asking the same theoretical question.

I had bought a Seimens phone from the UK and brought it over to Roger's - works perfectly. Some I'm sure that some base functionality is to be expected.

I get the feeling that within a week of being released (considering both high visibility of the product / release and the inherent nature of geekdom) that someone will figure out how to unlock the phone and they'll appear on ebay (at a premium, I'm sure). I also am sure that some tech site out there will punch in a bunch of SIMs into the back of one to test it out, and we'll all find out within the same timeframe if you can, indeed, easily walk over the border. Remember how many people came out and reported how to unlock 802.11n functionality before it became official?

That being said, I don't know what the end results would be.

N....
 
dallasgrant said:
Sometimes I wonder about the people that post crap like this ... #1 This proves the commenter know nothing about GSM Phones ... #2 Yes, ATT is the authorized company in The US ... but not of all North America or any where else in the world

Also, the phone has to be made unlockable ... it is a rule of the FCC so a person can transfer to a new company and not have to purchase a new phone

An no ... being without Virtual Voicemail will not brick the phone ... why you all treat that like the best feature of the phone makes me question your intelligence. That shouldn't be on your top five most important features. Hmm how about fast processor, Video player, Audio Player, large storage capacity, great web enabled features.
Click to expand...

First, note :D in my comment. Phone without phone functionality is very close to a brick.

Second, I have to take offense in your comment "know nothing about GSM phones". Where is that coming from?
I simply mentioned the fact that every device is hackable but for some devices hack may never be created or figured out? Some Nokia phones could be unlocked by simply entering the code, some phones you have to flash the OS but some phones forever remain unlocked. I think that Apple will probably do something to make hacks to unlock the iPhone very hard to discover or even impossible.

So, yes, there will be an option to unlock the iPhone but it does not have to be easy or ever done by 3rd party.

I for one wished for iPhone to be unlocked device and shake this contract based mobile industry in North America but seems Apple was not ready to take that step (yet).

Lastly, please link to that FCC thing that phones must be unlockable? I am not from USA but would like to know if that's actually true.
 
Apple iPhone will sport a sophisticated logicboard-based network locking mechanism. The mechanism will be activated when the SIM is put in and the phone is switched on for the first time i.e. by the network that distributes it, and runs on a countdown timer for the length of the contract, which in the case of North America is 2 Years... At the end of the preset locking duration it will indicate in its Network Settings menu that other networks are 'available'. Any attempt to unlock it will result in a full phone block, which will only be disabled by the distributing network, for a nominal fee.. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Seriously though.. I think the network operators have been crying out for a phone that can actually get you to keep to your word about how long you want to stay with them for, because of the lost ARPU that they're experiencing. Apple's efforts will allow the network operators to rest assured that they will reap the benefits of higher ARPU per signed contract, as well as greater control of the revenue streams from the locking/unlocking process. In return Apple gets to manage the distribution of the product, also selling the devices at 'unsubsidised' prices and reap its usual set-per-unit revenue.
 
typing this from my iPhone in victoria

first of all,this message is proof that these are easily hackable. I brought this from the states brand new and unopened. I updated the software and then followed the instructions on a website which were pretty much two steps of hitting buttons and dowloading a few things to my phone. Everything works fine but voicemail. Once it does become available u will be able to use it.
 
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